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Congress ‘Fixes’ Airport Delays by Increasing Deficit

When the White House launched their sequestration scare campaign earlier this year, one of the most hyped consequences was its effect on air travel.

Since so many other warnings never were realized, the Obama administration made good on threats last week by ordering 14,750 air traffic controllers on furlough two days a month. As a result, major airports saw flight delays of up to 80 minutes. Granted, some of these effects can be blamed on the weather, but the Beltway’s media message is clear: sequestration is the end of life as we know it.

Spurred into action by angry travelers — and selfishly realizing that they too want to travel this weekend — Congress leapt into action since Something Must Be Done. Did Congress demand that the administration trim Obama’s travel budget instead of inconveniencing the rest of America? Of course not. Instead, they did what comes naturally to them — shoveling more money into the system.

Congress slapped together a bill in record time to quickly transfer funds to the FAA to stop these so-called sequestration delays. The bill came up so quickly that it wasn’t even listed on the legislation-tracking THOMAS site or the floor schedule.

The Democrat-controlled Senate passed the bill unanimously last night and today the House passed it 361-41. The uncommon speed of this lawmaking effort makes it doubtful that legislators had time to read the measure before voting. It is now on the way to the White House for an expected signature.

From what little has been publicized, the bill appears to increase outlays this year in return for a promise of reductions in later years. Much like Lucy promised Charlie Brown that this time she wouldn’t yank the football.

But even the promised reductions wouldn't cover the entirety of the bill's cost. According to the House GOP website, "most, but not all, of that near-term increase would be offset by corresponding reductions in outlays in future years, resulting in net increases in outlays totaling $4 million over the 2013-2018 period and $2 million over the 2013-2023."

One thing is clear: this “fix” will increase the deficit for 2013 and beyond.

Reacting to the bill, White House Spokesman Jay Carney said, “This is no more than a temporary Band-Aid that fails to address the overarching threat to our economy posed by the sequester’s mindless across the board cuts.” We agree with Carney… to a point.

The problem isn’t mindless cuts, but Washington’s mindless spending. With national debt exceeding $16 trillion, our political leaders can’t manage a miniscule reduction in the rate of future growth without creating transportation gridlock.

Welcome to the first Regulatory Review, a project of the FreedomWorks Foundation's Regulatory Action Center. Every two weeks, we'll bring you the best news, articles, videos, and events regarding government regulation. The Trump administration has ushered in historic reform of the accountable, unelected, and bloated federal bureaucracy. When you hear "drain the swamp" or "cut the red tape" or terms like "the 4th branch of government" or "the administrative state," those all refer to what you'll find important information on here. The Regulatory Action Center is committed to lowering the barrier between the regulatory regime and the American people, so check out the links below and be sure to check back every two weeks for the latest Regulatory Review!

On behalf of FreedomWorks’ activist community, I urge you to contact your representative and ask him or her to vote YES on the 21st Century Aviation Innovation, Reform, and Reauthorization (AIRR) Act, H.R. 2997. The bill would provide necessary reform to the FAA by modernizing air traffic control (ATC), streamlining regulations, and improving outreach to consumers.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the federal agency designed to regulate air travel, is currently up for reauthorization as its funding and authority are set to expire in September later this year. Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Penn.), chair of the House Transportation Committee, has introduced the Aviation Innovation, Reform, and Reauthorization (AIRR) Act to do just that and more.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is up for reauthorization this year. Already, there have been several reform proposals, including taking air traffic control (ATC) from federal hands and turning it into a non-profit corporation.

With the arrival of President Trump, government reform seems to be the next big thing in Washington right now. Be it tax reform, financial reform, regulatory reform, or health care reform, the past five months have seen major pushes for reform of government policy and structures to make it more efficient, increase accountability, and decrease overreach. With that spirit in mind, there is another area that could use reform as well: air traffic control.

It’s that time again. Another day, another we-need-to-add-multiple-amendments-before-reauthorizing-a-bill moment. Currently, the Senate is moving to pass the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2016 (S.2658), which would grant the FAA funding through September 2017. During this process, however, senators like Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) have taken the opportunity to squeeze in additional measures by way of amendments as they rush the bill to the floor.

Recent reports indicate that language may be included in H.R. 636, America's Small Business Tax Relief Act of 2015, the vehicle for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill in the Senate to provide tax breaks for renewable energy that are slated to expire. FreedomWorks opposes inclusion of this language in the FAA reauthorization bill.